yes means yes

Dear Anonymous~
What you have to say, behind the mask of anonymity, means very little to me now. I do not know what I have done to you to make you want to hurt me with words. I realize your anger, pain and frustration must come from a place in you that needs release--I have been there, not once, but many times. And, no, they are not all related to your unnecessary comments--in fact, that particular dark place was not the darkest, only the most recent; and the one that brought about the most healing, growth, and, yes, lightness and joy. Your words, intended to slow or reverse our healing, will instead continue to motivate us to be better, closer, more united. Your words increase my strength and resolve. As I read them, they lacked the power to hurt me, or even to touch me. They were yours, and yours alone; that is how they will stay.

The greatest gift I have found is forgiveness. What you don't know, or seem to grasp, is that I have forgiven. The three best words ever: I forgive you. Love is easy, shoot, lust is even easier, but forgiveness requires looking deep into oneself and identifying the source of the pain, acknowledging it, being present in it, and l-e-t-t-i-n-g i-t g-o. I have done that, and more, both on my own and with assistance. I am free.

What I need to tell you is that I forgive you, too. Your pain, your anger, your darkness inside, is not actually related to me, as far as I know. Let it go. Find someone who can honestly help you find it and release it. Whoever you are, you can be at peace.

That is my response to you. I wish you peace. I hope you move forward. I have, and there's no longer any reason to dwell on looking back.

~Stephanie